conklin



(No Model.)

Wfinassas wwshg K1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. R. OONKLIN.

GULTIVATOR. I

Patented Dec. 30,1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. R. 'GONKLIN. GULTIVATOR.

No. 448,703. Patented Dec. 30,1890.

-of the shovel-beams or drag-bars.

UNITED STATES- Areivr FFICE.

EDlVARD R. CONKLIN, OF \VAUSEON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONKLIN AUTOMATICCULTIVATOR COMPANY.

ouL nvAToa.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,703, dated December30, 1890.-

Application filed February 8, 1890. Serial No. 339,761. (No model.)

ances and takes from the neck of the horses the weight of the pole andthe downward drag In this class of cultivators, when the suspended plowsor teeth are in the ground, the weight and downward pull of the pole onthe necks of the horses are greater than when the plows are out of theground.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and eflicientmeans for shifting the axle of my cultivator to and fro by the samemovement by which the cultivatorteeth are raised or lowered, thusshifting the fulcrum so that the weight and downward pull of the poleupon the necks of the horses may be kept substantially uniform,regardless of whether the plows are raised or lowered. I attain thisobject by means of the mechanism hereinafter described, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, made part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my cultivator; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig. 3,a side view ofthe same with one of the wheels and one of the drag-bars removed; Figs.4 and 5, side elevation of fulcrum-shifting lever in differentpositions, and Fig. 6 a plan of said lever and its attachments indetail.

Like letters represent like parts in the several views.

A is the main frame of the machine. This frame I prefer to form ofgas-pipe and gasings) is suspended in the usual manner from midwaybetween the extremities of the pieces composing the frame, the driversfeet resting in stirrups s.

The axle for the wheels does not extend across the width of the machine;but the wheels revolve on spindles c, Fig. 3, rigidly fixed to andprojecting outwardly from the lower part of U-shaped standards E, thearms of which extend upwardly, terminating in loops or openings 6. Theseloops or openings loosely embrace the side pieces forming frame A, sothat, the frame being stationary, the loops slip to and fro lengthwiseof the frame, carrying with them the standards and Wheels of themachine, or so that, the wheels being stationary, the frame slips to andfro longitudinally in the loops, or so that both the frame and loops maymove to and fro reciprocally.

Now, assuming that the driver is in his place in the seat suspendedbetween the rear extremities of the frame Aand that his weight exactlybalances the weight of the tongue, it

is clear that if the frame be moved forward in its hearings in loops 6,the fulcrum being shifted nearer the driver, the tongue willpressdownward, while if the frame be moved in its bearings in the oppositedirection the fulcrum will be shifted away from the driver and thetongue will press upward. Thus it will be seen that by sliding the loops6 to and fro upon the frame A the weight of the pole or tongue upon thehorses may be adjusted as desired. v My machine is provided with twodragbars F F, attached and pivoted by their forward ends to the bottomof the main frame near its front end. These drag-bars are provided withthe usual shovels, plows, or teeth,

and maybe raised and lowered independently of each other by means ofchains G, connecting the drag-bars with levers H, fulcrumed and pivotedat their lower extremities on cross-bar B. Levers H are provided withpawls h, which may be made to engage curved racks t on cross-piece B,retaining the levers at any desired point in their throw, thussustaining the drag-bars at any desired height.

Racks 'i are fixed upon sleeves k, which rotate on cross-bar B.The-sleeves are each provided at their outer ends with a downwardly-projecting arm Z, attached rigidly thereto. Arms Z are slottedlongitudinally, the slots receiving pins m, projecting from the innerface of standards E.

"When standards E, with their loops 6, are slipped to and fro on frameA, projecting pins on on standards E slide in slotted arms Z, causingthe same to describe the arc of a circle of which cross-bar B is thecenter. This motion of arms Z rotates sleeves 7c, and with them racks'1', which, being engaged with levers H by means of pawls 7t, cause thethrow of levers II, which, through chains G, raise and lower thedrag-bars F.

N is a lever, the upward end of which has a handle within convenientreach of the operator. This lever is fulcrumed near its lower end tolink or bar 0, which extends forward to and is pivoted on a block nearthe front end of the frame A. The lower end of lever N is pivoted to acollar fixed on rod 2), which is adapted to slidelongitudinally insuitable supports provided near its two ends. Attached to and leadingforward from standards E are two stout rods t which converge and arefastened to rod 1).

Assuming that the plows are lowered to the ground, the position of theother parts will be as follows: Levers II will be thrown backward towardthe driver, with their pawls 7L engaging the racks 2', the handle oflever N will be thrown back toward the driver, rod 1) will be pushedforward, and standards E, with the wheels, will he slipped to theirforward limit. Arms Zwill also be thrown to their forward limit, whilesleeves 7.; and racks i are turned on their axis to their backwardlimit. I11 this position either of the drag-bars, with its attachedshovels, may be raised and lowered independently by means of its leverIf, so as to avoid obstructions and straggling plants; but if it is,desired to raise both dragbars at once the operator throws forward thehandle of lever N, which throws backward the lower end of the lever,carrying with it rod 1) and its attached rods g, which slide standards Ebackward on frame A, shifting the fulcrum of the machine backward. Thisbackward movement of the standards E by means of pins 121. moving in theslots of arms I causes. arms Z to swing backwardly, rotating sleeves 7cand racks 6 forward, carrying with them levers II, which, through chainsG, lift both drag-bars simultaneously.

The position of le ver N and its attachments when the plows are loweredand when the weight of the driver is farthest from the fulcrum is shownin Fig. 4. t-ion of the lever N, with the opposite result, is shown inFigs. 5 and 6.

seen that the equilibrium of the machine is maintained and the weight ofthe pole or The opposite posi- Thus it will be tongue is kept balancedby the weight of the driver by the same operation which throws the plowsinto or out of the ground.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a cultivator, the drag-bar raising and lowering mechanism, incombination with the frame-supporting mechanism movable 1ongitudinallyupon said frame, said drag-bar raising and lowering mechanism adapted tobe actuated by the horizontal movement of the frame-supportingmechanism, substantially as shown and described, for the purposespecified.

2. In a cultivator, the fra'mesupporting mechanism adapted to movehorizontally along the frame of such machine, in combination with themechanism for raising and lowering the drag-bar, whereby the drag-barsmay be raised or lowered and the fulcrum of the machine may be shiftedby the same operation, substantially as shown. and described, for thepurpose specified.

In a cultivator, standards E, provided with wheel-spindles and adaptedto support and move horizontally to and fro along the frame of the1nachine,in combination with lever N, fulcrumed to the frame of themachine, and the mechanism intermediate said lever and said standards,substantially as shown and described, for the purpose. specitied.

4. In a cultivator, levers H, adapted to raise and lower the drag-barsof the machine, in combination with the supportingmechanism of the frameA, adapted to move to and fro along said frame, and the mechanismintermediate said levers and said supporting mechanism, substantially asshown and described, for the purpose specified. I

5. In a cultivator, lever N, adapted to move the frame-supportingmechanism to and fro horizontally along said frame, in combination withlevers I-I, adapted to raiseand lower the drag-bars of said machine, andthe mechanism intermediate said levers H and N, substantially as shownand described, for the purpose specified.

6. In a cultivator, the combination of lever N, link or bar 0, rod 1),and rods (1 withstandards E, substantially as shown and described, forthe purpose specified.

7. In acultivator, lever N, link or bar 0, rod 17, rods q, and standardsE, in combination with pin m, slotted arm Z, sleeve L, rack i, pawls h,levers H, chains G, and drag-bars F, substantially as shown anddescribed, for the purpose specified.

ll. R. CONKLIN.

